Hay feeder, designed by Bill Edwards, Verbena, Alabama.

Dry forages added to high concentrate diets can increase rumen buffering capacity and, therefore, optimize rumen fermentation and improve animal performance. Dry forages are hays, pelleted forages and some by-products such as straws and hulls. Grass hay usually is of a lesser quality and feeding value than legume hay. Goats tend to eat pelleted and chopped hay more than long hay. The stage of maturity of forage cut for hay can influence its feeding quality.

Legumes (alfalfa, clover) and grass (bermuda and bahia) are good sources of hay for goats; however, endophyte infected fescue should be used with caution. Feeding better quality hay allows lowering the protein content of the grain mix fed and thus the feed cost. Factors influencing quality of hay include: 1) date of the harvest; 2) leafiness; 3) lack of seed head; 4) absence of coarse stems; 5) lack of foreign material and 6) green color.

Straws, most hulls, and stovers are of lower quality (digestibility) but not necessarily of low value in mixed feed. Cottonseed hulls have higher palatability and feeding value than peanut hulls and oat hulls. Soybean hulls (an exception) in  combination with hay are excellent forages for goat.

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